Israeli soldiers are increasingly engaging in acts of brutality and war crimes in Gaza, with the appearance of more “callous” and “ideologically violent” troops, according to a detailed analysis published in Haaretz by Professor Yoel Elizur, former chair of the Council of Psychologists and emeritus professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Stepped on his stomach three times and left,” the article quotes soldiers as saying. When questioned, the commander responded: “These kids need to be killed from the day they are born.”
Soldiers who oppose such actions face severe consequences. Max Kresh, a reserve fighter who declared opposition to “flattening Gaza” and other crimes against humanity, was subjected to intense social ostracism. “They kicked me out of my team. They made it clear they didn’t want me,” he reported, returning from duty feeling “mentally crushed.”
The report highlights particularly disturbing practices at Sde Teiman detention facility, where 36 investigations are ongoing regarding detainee deaths since 7 October 2023. One reserve soldier described the normalisation of cruelty: “I saw sadistic people there. People who enjoy causing suffering to others… What was most disturbing was to see how easily and quickly ordinary people can detach themselves.” Another soldier admitted: “There is total dehumanisation here… It bothers me that it didn’t bother me. There is normalisation of the process, and at some point, it just stops bothering.”
In a related development, Haaretz has published a lead editorial with the headline, “Israel is losing its humanity in Gaza”. The paper cites evidence of “unbridled lawlessness” by soldiers, particularly in the Netzarim corridor, detailing the existence of an unofficial “line of dead bodies” where, according to a division commander, “bodies are not collected, attracting packs of dogs who come to eat them.”
The editorial revealed disturbing incidents, including dozens of bullets being fired at “just a boy, maybe 16” while “soldiers were shooting and laughing.” In another incident, after surviving gunfire that killed three of his friends, a Gaza resident was “put in a cage set up near our position, stripped off his clothes… Soldiers passing by spat on him.”
The paper’s investigation found that out of 200 bodies checked in one area, “only ten were confirmed as known Hamas operatives,” casting serious doubt on official IDF reports about “terrorist” casualties. “The more evidence emerges from Gaza, the clearer the nauseating picture of our loss of humanity becomes,” the editorial concluded.